The 2017 BRIT Awards Highlights From Katy Perry To Ed Sheeran

The BRIT Awards 2017 with Mastercard kicked off at The O2 Wednesday live on ITV, with hosts Dermot O'Leary and Emma Willis opening the show from the roof of the iconic London venue.

An audience of over 15,000 people made-up of artists, celebrity guests, music lovers and students from The BRIT School revelled in the excitement and anticipation of incredible performances from Ed Sheeran (With a surprise appearance from Stormzy), Katy Perry (joined onstage by Bob Marley's grandson Skip Marley), Bruno Mars, Robbie Williams, Emeli Sandé, Little Mix, Skepta, The 1975 and a surprise performance from The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay. While the winning artists picked up their coveted trophies designed by the late visionary British architect Zaha Hadid.

Little Mix kicked off the ceremony with a huge performance of 'Shout Out To My Ex', featuring 92 dancers. The same track that would see them later in the evening pick up their first BRIT Award for British Single.

Scoring the show's only double win, the incredible legend that is the late David Bowie received the centrepiece award of the night - Mastercard British Album of the Year for his final album Blackstar, and also British Male Solo Artist, his third award in this category.David's son Duncan Jones and Michael C Hall (the actor and star of Bowie's stage show Lazarus) accepted the awards on behalf of the late star, which took the singer's total BRITs tally up to six wins.

Emeli Sandé picked up British Female Solo Artist making it her fourth BRIT Award in as many years. She was presented with the trophy by David Tennant. Emeli also performed at the ceremony treating the crowd to an incredible version of 'Hurts'.

The 1975 rocked The O2 after picking up their first ever BRIT Award for British Group. Also picking up their first BRIT Award are comeback kings A Tribe Called Quest who took home the gong for Best International Group.

British Artist Video of the Year was once again determined by a live Twitter social vote, with One Direction crowned winners during the show. The Superstar group received their seventh BRIT Award, taking the accolade for British Artist Video Of The Year for 'History'. The band's Liam Payne collected the award, appropriately, from Simon Cowell.

Rag'N'Bone Man, currently Number One in the album charts, topped off what has been an incredible few months for him since winning the Critics' Choice Award in December, fighting off tough competition to win British Breakthrough Act, a category that is decided by public vote. This is the first time the same artist has won both Critics' Choice and British Breakthrough Act in the same year.

Superstar Beyoncé was crowned International Female Solo Artist - her second win in this category. Whilst it was third time lucky for Drake who received his first ever BRIT Award for International Male Artist after being nominated twice in previous years in the same category.

Adele won her second successive Global Success Award for international sales of her album '25' which was the biggest selling album around the world by any British artist in 2016.

One of this evening's most poignant and touching moments came from Coldplay's Chris Martin who performed a heartfelt tribute to George Michael with an emotional version of the late star's 'A Different Corner' backed by a huge orchestra. Chris then gave way to footage of George singing the song reminding us all what an incredible talent he was, eventually singing along with him before finishing to a standing ovation.

The show closed with a spectacular grand finale from the ultimate entertainer - Robbie Williams, the most decorated BRIT artist of all time and the latest recipient of the Icon Award. Robbie performed;The Heavy Entertainment Show, Love My Life and Mixed Signals.

The BRIT Awards 2017 with Mastercard took place at London's O2 Arena on Wednesday 22nd February and were broadcast live on ITV and streamed on YouTube across the world (excluding the UK and Ireland) for the fourth consecutive year. Performances are exclusively available on Apple Music directly after the show; all audio tracks of the performances from the night are available to buy on iTunes with donations going to The BRITs Trust.

And The Winners Are.... (in order presented on the night)

British Female Artist - Emeli Sandé (Presented by David Tennant)

British Group – The 1975 (presented by Romesh Ranganathan and Maisie Williams)